


Repentance

by callionope



Category: One Piece
Genre: Ace is alive, Doctor Marco is a sexy Marco, F/M, Fluff, Humor, Marco x OC - Freeform, Platonic Relationships, Post-Marineford, Slow Romance, Thatch is alive, surgeries
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-23
Updated: 2020-07-11
Packaged: 2021-03-03 06:00:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 15,328
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24329923
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/callionope/pseuds/callionope
Summary: After a terrible accident, Lyra became afraid of performing surgery on anyone. Forced to travel to conquer that fear, she became a wandering doctor to keep herself busy. For five years, she jumped from island to island, treating and healing the sick, until one day, on a certain winter island, she did not expect to meet a fellow doctor, and for the strongest man alive to invite her on his crew.
Relationships: Fushichou Marco | Phoenix Marco/Original Character(s), Fushichou Marco | Phoenix Marco/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 36
Kudos: 102





	1. The Power Plant

Chapter 1

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The Power Plant

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_“All of these people are alive right now. Because of her.”_

_._

_._

_._

The Whitebeard Pirates arrived on an unknown winter island, located somewhere in the New World.

Everything their eyes could perceive was covered in a blanket of white; large, snow filled mountains could be seen in the distance, obscuring what lay beyond. The clouds looming above the island were thick, frowzy gray. Flakes of snow descended shyly from the dark sky, landing at the reddening noses of the pirates and making them conscious of the blistering cold that registered their bodies and pricked their exposed skins. Realizing this, everyone immediately wore their coats, some wrapping scarves around their necks while the others shielded their numbing hands with gloves.

It was their captain that had decided to dock onto the nearest island, which, to the dismay of everyone, was an extremely cold one. Marco, who was acutely aware of the looming problem on the horizon, doubted there was even a civilization in this frozen wasteland. Even from the view on the crow's nest, he couldn't detect any signs of life; no fishermen, not even a designated place for them to berth their ship.

Despite the situation already looking bleak, they had to at least make an effort to look for a village. Their very survival even outside of this place was at stake: supplies still needed to be restocked, fresh water had to replenished, and they also needed to buy more food and crates of booze that would last them at least a week.

Naturally, someone had to go on and do the work.

But for some reason his siblings were reluctant to even step outside the ship, complaining about the cold and frozen lakes that might crack their skulls. Fatuous excuses were thrown here and there, and their father only laughed, amused at their antics.

Somewhere in the midst of all this, word reached him that it was Ace and Thatch who had volunteered to go out.

The second Marco heard about it, his gut instincts told him that those two would surely cause some trouble. Because the two of them together always screamed trouble.

Marco didn't want trouble. Trouble always equated to paperwork. And Marco hated paperwork.

Especially if it involved problems caused by those two idiots.

So as to avoid a possible case of migraine in the future, Marco decided to accompany his brothers just to make sure they behaved properly.

"See ya later, pops!" Ace shouted as he enthusiastically waved his hands. Marco frowned at his brother's winter attire. Or rather, lack of.

"At least wear a coat, yoi."

Ace groaned. "But I'm not cold! The cold never both-"

"Stop!" Marco grimaced, already guessing the next words that would usually come out from that talkative mouth of his. "Just stop."

Ace only stuck his tongue in reply.

"We'll try our best not to cause trouble!" Thatch said as he unceremoniously threw a black coat over his brother's shirtless glory.

Marco rolled his eyes, not believing a single word he said. "We'll let you know if we found a good village, yoi," he sullenly informed his father.

Whitebeard grinned broadly as he watched Ace begrudgingly wear his coat. The trio said their goodbyes, and began their trek towards civilization. Marco, despite willingly choosing to accompany them, was not looking forward to his brothers' future escapades.

"Take care, my sons."

"Don't cause trouble, Ace!" Haruta reminded the raven head.

"And don't scare the civilians," Izou added.

"Don't slip!"

"Don't destroy anything!"

"Make sure not to drown in some frozen lakes!"

Ace shot them all dirty look, pouting. "Jeez, I'm not a kid!"

* * *

Travelling from the Moby Dick to the high, snowy mountain was uneventful, except for the constant whining from Thatch who found everything unfair because he was the only one freezing his ass off. Ace was made of fire, so naturally the cold was never a problem. And as for Marco, a mythical zoan user, his body unceasingly regenerated back to its normal body temperature thanks to the phoenix's power.

When the trio made it peacefully to the top, they luckily found a small village not far away from where they stood. They started to trek down the slope with Ace leading the way, melting the ice he stepped on. The fire user was certainly useful in this kind of situation, especially with the comforting warmth he emitted as they trudged their way down the mountain.

As they approached the somber village, Marco pulled out a list from his jacket's pocket, double-checking if he missed anything. They only needed to buy the things they could carry, and return back to the ship to let the others do the rest. Marco included some office supplies on his list, remembering he was almost out of paper and ink. Maybe he should buy more than necessary to prepare himself for the incoming doom called paperwork.

Finally arriving at the entrance, the first thing they noticed was the eerie atmosphere that welcomed them. It was already a late morning and they expected some villagers bustling around to do their chores but what greeted them was closed shops, and wary eyes of the few people who lingered in the shoveled streets as they passed by.

"What's with them?" Ace jammed his hand in his pockets, grumbling under his breath.

"I think we're not welcome," Thatch observed, frowning.

"Looks like it, yoi," Marco said as he surveyed his surroundings. The villagers looked scared. Some even hurriedly returned to their houses while the majority seemed tense, as if he and his brothers were ready to pounce and attack them at any moment. He wanted to ask someone about this strange behavior but they stubbornly kept their distance.

"Good morning, young men. Are you here to visit?"

The three turned around to face the owner of the gruffly voice. A stout grey-haired old man greeted them, wearing a green, cocoon coat and a cane on his hand to support his hunched back. The old man stared at them with his big, wide eyes. Marco guessed he was the mayor of this village based on how he carried himself despite his old age and how comfortable he was in the presence of the people he just met.

"We're only here to buy some supplies for our travels," Marco said as he massaged the back of his neck. "We do not mean to impose, but did something happen recently, yoi?"

The old man rubbed his temples, glancing around, and sighed heavily before answering, "Ah, some cruel pirates attacked our power plant three days ago so please excuse their behavior. What happened was still fresh in our mind. It was awful, you see. The people who worked there were heavily injured and some sadly lost their life."

"How come your village looks fine, gramps?" Ace raised his eyebrows, crossing his arms over his chest.

"We're just lucky."

"Lucky?" Thatch asked him.

"A beautiful woman came to our rescue. She was only a traveller - a doctor actually, but she did not hesitate to help us," the old man uttered with a hint of admiration. "You see, all of these people are alive right now. Because of her."

 _'A woman_ ,' Marco thought, intrigued. That woman must be something if she could handle a group of pirates on her own. "So where's the power plant, yoi?"

Marco dismissed the shocked looks his brothers threw at him, probably not expecting him to mind the affairs of other people's business. Well, he was curious. And it would be a waste if they came here for nothing.

Thatch squinted his eyes at him. "Ohhhh you're curious. And you told us not to be curious."

"Unfair!" Ace huffed.

"Fine. We can go and tell pops to go somewhere else," Marco retorted back with a blank look on his face.

Thatch gasped, appalled. "Wait, no! I want to know the beautiful lady gramps was talking about!"

"That's what you want to know, yoi?" Marco glared.

"What? I'm a man! I want to see with my own eyes how beautiful this lady is!" Thatch playfully bumped his shoulder to Ace. "You want to know too, right?" He wiggled his eyebrows.

"Nope," Ace simply replied. "I just want to know where the delicious smell is coming from."

Marco could not believe the words spouting from his brothers' mouth.

The old man laughed, the corner of his eyes crinkling as he told them, "What an energetic youth. I don't mind showing you the way to the power plant, boys."

"We're very thankful, yoi." Marco bowed and grabbed the back of Ace's coat before he could go somewhere else. "You're coming with us."

"But I'm hungry!"

"You ate an hour ago, yoi!"


	2. The Wandering Doctor

The Wandering Doctor

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" _You have your reasons, right?"_

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"How many times do I have to tell you that those documents are important?!"

"Are you saying we should disregard people's lives for some documents, sir?"

"I think you've misunderstood, bitch. The person in charge of this site is me, the SnowField Power Plant Chief Manager, Dale Langdon! So you do whatever I fucking tell you to do—"

"I don't care if you're the Chief Manager, sir. We will only take care of your problem once everything is settled."

Lyra could feel a headache coming at the insensitive words flowing from the noble's mouth. They'd discussed this situation multiple times, yet Dale kept on demanding the civilians to prioritize his scrap of papers rather than his employees who were dying and trying to survive. Ever since the incident, Dale had become nothing but a huge nuisance, and no one was happy about it.

As Dale continued to prattle, Lyra wisely chose to turn a deaf ear, moving her gaze to the Power Plant just opposite of her. The majestic building had actually been in the process of construction for a while...before the Pinkbeard pirates had destroyed it, leaving nothing but injured workers that needed to be mended.

Luckily, when the villagers heard of what happened, everyone was quick to respond. They immediately stationed emergency medical tents around the building, bringing along medication and other medical equipment from the hospital, as wounded workers who were able to escape the assault were treated by nurses and doctors.

Lyra was genuinely surprised to find that this village had advanced medical equipment, and that their healthcare team were made up of skilled practitioners of medicine. The village might appear poor and old, but they were rich in knowledge and medical skills.

_'Though not as skilled as the doctor I know in Drum Island.'_

Returning her attention back to the still whining noble, Lyra could feel his raging fury bore intensely at her skull. Closing her eyes, Lyra let out a harsh breath as she tried to calm her nerves, before saying, "Are you done, sir? If that's all, then please leave the rescue site."

"You fucking bi—" Dale suddenly stopped, and Lyra lifted a delicate eyebrow, waiting. He shifted his coal eyes from her to somewhere behind her back and a smile so faked appeared on his face. "Ah! Good timing, mayor!"

Lyra sighed, her shoulders slumping as she dreaded the next thing the annoying noble would do. Dale would surely complain again, and for the nth time, she would have to restrain herself from punching his hatchet-face to kingdom come.

Turning around to meet the mayor herself, she opened her mouth only to shut it again, her emerald eyes widening when she recognized the people in tow.

_'What are they doing here?'_

"Good morning, Langdon-san, Lyra-san," the mayor greeted.

"Listen here, mayor!" Dale started, marching towards him. "Tell this woman..."

"Marco?" Lyra breathed out and the three men who were following the mayor shot her strange looks. Realizing she'd said his name out loud, she quickly slapped a hand on her lips.

The said man dressed in a white parka cocked his head, his eyes narrowed in confusion. "Have we met, yoi?"

"Oh no, no. Never." she immediately answered. "I-I only heard about you and your friends…somewhere."

"Is that so." The amusement in his tone was palpable, which caused the tips of her ears to redden in embarrassment. She must have sounded like some sort of stalker with the way she'd said his name!

"Man, you're really famous," the man with a pompadour hairstyle said as he leaned his arm to Marco's shoulder.

"Shut up, yoi."

Lyra smiled nervously, then dragged her eyes to see the man in a cowboy hat walking towards her. Unexpectedly, he bowed in a polite manner and spoke, "Hello, nice to meet you. My name is Portgas D. Ace, what's yours?"

"Oh, I'm Lyra Truccia," she replied and bowed back, her long, white hair spilling over her shoulder. "It's a pleasure to meet you as well."

"Aaaand my name's Thatch." He shoved Ace aside with a jut of his hip, causing him to stumble down the snow.

"Goddamnit, Thatch!"

Paying no attention to him, Thatch held out his hand. "What should I call a beautiful lady like you? Sweetheart? Darling? Love? Honey?"

"Lyra is fine, Thatch-san." She smiled thinly, shaking his hand with her own.

"Are they the marines from SnowHill Royal Palace, mayor?" Dale intervened, sizing them up with a hand on his hip as he sauntered near them. "They look weak. Can they even lift a pebble?"

"Who the hell is this jerk?" Ace whispered next to Thatch as he brushed the snow off his coat.

"Well, these young men are only here to visit," the mayor said but Dale didn't seem to hear him.

"I left something important in the office. Go dig it up and crawl underneath that concrete. Make yourself useful."

Thatch frowned. "What?"

"Did you even hear what I said? These useless scums…" Dale rolled his eyes. "I said move your ass and dig that place!"

Marco quickly snagged the collar of a growling Ace. "Control yourself, yoi."

Lyra stepped in. "Sir, I told you before that there are still loose rocks falling—"

Dale let out an exasperated sigh. "What loose rocks? Why are you making a big deal out of rocks?! If that scares you so much then how will you be able to rescue anyone? You're so stupid and frustrating!"

'The nerve of this guy…!'

Lyra clenched her fists and with a calm voice she said, "That building was bombarded with cannons, sir. It's still dangerous. And we're waiting for one more person to be pulled up from that wreckage. So please be patient."

"Ohmygod Doctor Lyra! Doctor!"

All of them whirled their head to find a teenager dressed in blue scrubs and duffel coat running in their direction, shouting with his face pale and stricken. When the boy reached the group, they noticed that he was shaking badly with sweat trickling down his forehead despite the freezing, cold air, breathless and disoriented.

"W-we need your help. We found him but it's bad. Real bad. S-super bad. H-he- T-there- A-"

Lyra placed a hand on his shoulder. "Calm down, Taft. Breathe."

Taft shakily grabbed her hand and took a deep breath to calm himself. After a few seconds, he started, "A pole… A p-pole pierced the patient's chest. He is lucky—" he gulped – "It-it missed his heart but if he moved even a little it might hit his spine. W-what should we do, doctor? I don't know what to do! I can't do surgery! He m-might die!"

Dale pinched the bridge of his nose. "God! He won't make it anyway so why bother?! It doesn't matter who lives or die—"

"Hey."

Dale snapped his head to the person who cut him off. "Hey? Did you just 'hey' me?!"

"Yeah, I'm talking to you, jerk." Ace responded, his voice dark and cold. Oddly, Lyra felt the temperature around her start to rise. "Do you know what it feels like to have your jaw broken? I can fucking show you right here, right now."

Dale huffed and stuck his nose up in the air. "Listen here, scum. I'll have you know that I'm a noble! So don't you dare talk back to me!"

"Is this man for real?" Thatch scoffed, crossing his arms.

Marco shook his head and sighed. "Ignore him, yoi. He's not worth it."

"Please don't mind him, Ace-san. The patient is more important." Lyra rubbed her forehead with a trembling hand and focused her attention to the nurse. "Where is he?"

"W-we sent him on an empty tent," Taft said. "We tried calling Dr. Kalen and Dr. Bevin but they're busy. The hospital is full and no one is available to do the surgery. I-I know you told us you can't operate but this time w-we need you, Dr. Lyra. P-please help us."

Lyra unconsciously stepped back, unaware of the strange looks that were directed at her. Taft looked at her, hopeful, and she suddenly felt trapped.

"See? He's a hopeless case! Give up on him!" Dale barked.

Ace stomped towards him, his eyes blazing but Thatch held his arm. "Chill, man. I understand you want to punch the living lights out of him but we can't add another patient on their plate."

"Let me go," the raven-haired male growled. "I'm going to teach that bastard a lesson!"

"Now, now, Langdon-san. How about we drink a cup of tea in my house and talk more about your problem?" the mayor finally interjected.

Marco sent the old man a grateful look to which he replied with a nod. Ace calmed down a little but he stubbornly shot Dale a hateful glare.

Unperturbed, Dale waved his hand and ambled away from them. "Fine! I don't want to be here anyway!"

"Like we fucking want you to be here," Ace grumbled under his breath. Thatch chuckled, and Marco smiled at his brother's childishness.

"U-umm, Doctor Lyra? We need to hurry…" Taft trailed off as he eyed the woman worriedly.

Lyra grew unnaturally still. She could feel her stomach contracts into a tight ball, her heart stumbling over it's own rhythm. She wrung her hand at the thought of going to the operating room, and it did not sit well on her stomach. Just imagining it made her anxious. Scared. Terrified.

_**"We have to operate on him first. Otherwise, he is going to die!"** _

"Doctor Lyra?"

_**"Why didn't you tell me? Why?!"** _

"D-Doctor Lyra. W-we need to hurry. The patient…"

The patient. He might die. Right. She needed to respond. Surgery. _You can do this. Calm down. Calm down. Breathe. It's going to be fine. Calm down. Breathe._

"What…" She tightly closed her eyes. "What's his condition?"

"His reactions are normal. We gave him antibiotics and got his X-ray. We only need to remove the steel pole."

Nervously, she moistened her dry lips. "Is there really no one who can do it?"

"The one that ends the earliest is after five hours. We can't wait that long."

Lips trembling, she said, "B-but I..." she inhaled sharply. Oh god someone help her. She can't do it. "I can't. I-I just really can't. I'm sorry I can't."

"I'll do it, yoi."

All of them snapped their heads to Marco.

"You will?" Thatch exclaimed.

"Can you really do it?" Taft asked him.

Marco smirked. "I may not look like it but I'm a doctor. We can help, yoi." He then shifted his attention to his brothers, his expression serious. "Thatch, go get pops. Inform him of what's happening. Ace, you're joining the operation."

Thatch grinned and pumped his fist in the air. "Finally! Time for some action!" He patted Ace on the shoulder. "Good luck, bro!" He saluted and left to go back to their ship.

Ace furrowed his brows at Marco, confused. "But I don't know anything about cutting a person's body."

"You only need to support, yoi. Leave the main job to me."

"Fine. But don't blame me if things get worse."

Lyra stared at Marco with tears welling up at the corner of her eyes. She released a shaky breath, and said, "I-I'm sorry for giving you such a burden."

"Don't worry. We don't mind, yoi." He offered her an understanding smile. "You have your reasons, right?"

"Yes," she said softly, and covered her face with her hands as she tried to regain control of her breathing. She felt relieved, light, but incredibly guilty. She was a doctor, yet she couldn't even surpass her fear.

_'It's been five years and… No, you can do this. Baby steps, Lyra. Baby steps.'_

She drew in a long breath and, to everyone's surprise, she slapped her cheeks.

"I can…" she swallowed. "I can still assist you with handing the surgery tools but I'm not confident with doing more than that. Is… Is that okay?"

"You don't have to force yourself, yoi."

Lyra shook her head. "No, this is my responsibility. I cannot let you do this alone," she uttered, still a little shaky. "Taft."

"Yes, Doctor?"

"Ready the patient. Inject him with anesthesia. Get the surgical scalpel set and as much Betagen and antiseptic gauze as possible. We won't let that patient die today. You got that?"

Taft pressed his lips together, his eyes glistening with unshed tears. "Yes, Doctor!" he shouted and rushed to do his assigned work.

"Then, I'll be in your care, Dr. Lyra," Marco nodded.

Lyra smiled gently. "Please take care of me as well, Dr. Marco."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Doctor Marco is a sexy Marco. Man, when I found out Marco was a doctor, my mind went wild.  
> Do you want this story to be written before or after Marineford Arc? It would be easy for me to write the whole plot if I at least know everyone's preference.  
> Thank you for reading lovelies! Stay safe!


	3. The Whitebeard Pirates

The Whitebeard Pirates

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_"Every surgeon carries within himself a small cemetery, where from time to time he goes to pray."- Rene Leriche_

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When Lyra stepped inside the tent, the first thing she noticed was the comfortable heat that enveloped her body. It felt amazing, pleasant, that it replaced her anxiety with warmth and determination. It even soothed her palpitating heart.

 _'I can do this,'_ she assured herself. _'This won't take long. Time will fly fast before you know it.'_ She took a deep breath then glanced at the patient. She blanched. _'Or not…'_

Whipping her head away, she tried her best not to look directly at the patient as she went straight to the table located at the left corner of the room. She stumbled a few times, cringing when she bumped her shoes to some equipment.

This was more challenging than she thought.

"Are you alright?" Ace asked and she clearly heard his concern. Her cheeks reddened in embarrassment, realizing they saw her moment of clumsiness. Not trusting her voice, she bit her lip and nodded.

Finally reaching the table, she turned her back to them and began to remove her duffel coat and scarf, placing it together with the others. She let out a long sigh. This was a mistake. A big mistake. Was she even ready? Maybe she should back out. Maybe she should run away while there was still time. Maybe she should not have offered to assist Marco.

But there was a patient on the verge of death.

No, she can do this! Yes, she can do this!

With a nod, she tilted her head to the side to have a glimpse of Marco. He was already dressed in full surgical attire, masked on, and his eyes…

He was staring back at her.

She flinched.

She saw his eyes twinkled in amusement.

Immediately looking away, she hastily took the elastic band on her wrist then gathered her long hair to tie it in a messy bun. She grabbed a surgical gown, unfolding it, and inserted her hands on the sleeves. She was about to tie the strings at the back when she sensed someone behind her.

"Here, let me help you, yoi." It was Marco. Her heart throbbed rapidly.

"T-thank you…" she mumbled, plucking a pair of latex gloves from the box. Keep calm. Keep calm. "Are-are you nervous, Dr. Marco?"

"I am, yoi. It's normal isn't it?" he said, tying the second string.

She froze, halting halfway on putting the latex glove in her hand. Marco tied the last string.

"How about you?" he asked.

She slowly faced him and if possible, her heart only beat more erratically when Marco did not look away with that intense eyes of his.

He admitted so easily that he was nervous, and for some reasons, it lifted some weight on her shoulders. It was nice to know that she was not the only one who felt this way. She was reminded that as a doctor, it was normal, and it was okay to feel uncertain at some point.

So she confessed, meeting his gaze. "I-I… I'm terrified. Absolutely terrified."

* * *

"So that village is in trouble, you say?"

Whitebeard crossed his arms as he leaned on his seat, contemplating on what to do. The moment Ace and Thatch volunteered to venture on their own, he had already resigned himself from the incoming problems and complaints that would surely reach his ears. But today was different.

Because he did not expect things to be the other way around.

According to Thatch, Marco had decided to help a village. And surprisingly, the two troublemakers were behaving because until now there was no news of destruction and even words of protests from some civilians that should have come here at this very moment.

Two hours had already passed so should he consider this as good news? Or bad news?

Or the calm before the storm?

Whitebeard hummed, slouching slightly. What to do… He gazed at his sons who filled the deck, listening attentively to Thatch who stood before him, face flushed and serious.

"Actually, Marco and Ace are operating on someone right now."

Everyone fell silent.

Whitebeard raised an eyebrow. That's unusual.

"WHAT?!"

"Wait, Ace?!" Izo shouted. "You mean, our Ace?!"

"Uh-huh. No choice," Thatch shrugged, "they lack manpower."

"If Ace is involved in that kind of dangerous situation then it must be really serious," Vista voiced out.

"I just can't imagine Ace being a doctor," added Haruta. "Nope."

"True…" Thatch stroked his chin. "Anyways! What should we do, pops? They really need help in the hospital."

"Gurarararara! Let's lend them a hand then," Whitebeard boomed and everyone focused their attention to him. Standing from his seat, he grinned and said, "Listen, my children! These are my orders!"

* * *

"We will take out the frame with speed and accuracy, yoi. There will be lots of blood so prepare yourself."

A beeping sound continuously echoed the whole tent.

A sound of a beating heart that belonged to the unconscious patient, his body laid on his side. Four people donned in full surgeon attire surrounded him. Nervous glances were shared, gauzes on their hands.

"Is everyone ready, yoi?"

Marco eyed the woman before him. He had expected her to give up, faint, and even cry any minute now but she never said anything. She pushed on. Willed herself to stand before the patient. Beside her, Ace looked determined. Despite being forced to join the operation, Ace did not voice out any complaints and listened attentively to his instructions.

It seemed like he owed Ace a drink after this.

"Commencing operation," he started. "On three…"

They straightened, and positioned their hands.

"One…"

They grabbed the pole.

"Two…"

A grip.

"Three!"

Marco pulled.

* * *

"Good morning! Or is it afternoon? What time is it anyway?"

"W-W-W-WHITEBEARD PIRATES?!"

"Yep, that's us. We're here to help-"

"PIRATES! PIRAAATES! Quick, call Dr. Lyra! This is an emergency!"

"Okay, man. We're here to help. We heard your hospital needs some people."

"How can we trust pirates like you?!"

Masked Deuce sighed heavily while the nurses behind him shared uncertain looks. With a calm voice, he said, "We're not the same with those pirates who dared attacked your village." He raised his arms up in the air. "We promise not to do any funny business. We're unarmed, see?"

* * *

The bleeding stopped. And Lyra should feel relieved. But ever since the operation started, all she wanted to do was run away and hide somewhere.

"Taft, full drop on IV injection and ready two more pint of RBC transfusion, yoi."

"Yes, Doctor!"

"Ace, vitals?"

"It's 100 over 70, pulse 130… Is-Is that a good sign?"

"Much better than before, yoi. Lyra, suture."

Lyra clenched her teeth, handing him the needle driver with the thread on it. Without a word, Marco grabbed the handle. She watched his hands expertly move in hurrying precision, piercing the needle in and out of the patient's flesh.

At exactly forty seconds, Marco neatly tied the thread then held it up. "Cut."

"Cut." Lyra snapped the excess thread with scissors. That was fast, she thought. "Are you going to use a stapler to close the wound?" she asked, watching him do the next stitch.

"S-stapler?!" Ace stuttered, eyes bulging out of his sockets.

Marco chuckled as he tied the second thread. "It's a different stapler than what we use in papers, Ace," he explained, raising the edge of the thread. "Cut."

"Cut." A snap.

"And to answer Lyra's question, yes I will use a stapler," Marco said, not stopping his hands. "Should I maintain tension by making fine subcutaneous stitches, Doctor?"

Lyra nodded. "That would be wise."

Marco peered at her, and Lyra saw again the look she could not point out. Was that amusement? Or was he challenging her?

He smirked. "Cut."

"Cut."

* * *

"Fuck, it's so cold! I miss our human heater."

"Commander! Look!"

Thatch groaned and threw his head back. A pack of snow wolves appear one by one behind the towering dried trees, their large fangs bared, and threatening. They moved silently on the snow, circling them, observing.

"Wolf meat for lunch, then," Thatch said, clutching the hilt of his swords. His brothers prepared themselves, weapons on hand.

"This call for a feast!"

* * *

"There are what?"

_"Pi-pirates are here in the hospital, doctor!"_

Lyra stared at the panicking Den Den Mushi then to Marco who did not even bat an eye at the news. He actually looked delighted.

"Dr. Lyra, what should we do?" Taft said, holding the receiver on his left hand and the snail on the other.

"Suction," Marco said. Lyra quickly took the small vacuum, and focused on removing the blood that previously leaked.

"Do you know who they are?" she asked.

 _"Whi-whitebeard pirates…"_ the Den Den Mushi answered.

Lyra stilled, and shot her eyes up to Marco.

"They're finally here, yoi." He met her eyes. "There's nothing to worry about. We're not here to cause trouble," he said and looked up to Ace who stood beside the IV pole, squeezing a bag of blood.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Ace muttered with a glare.

Marco chuckled and continued on his work. "Nylon number 3."

Lyra sent him a curious look before returning the suction on the tray and picked the thread with a needle threader.

_"Nurse Pill! Easton-san is having a hard time breathing!"_

_"Damn it! We need you here in the hospital, Dr. Lyra! The situation is bad—hey! What are you doing!"_

_"Hey, Dr. Lyra. Give me permission to use your OR."_

The expression of the snail changed and a voice she was unfamiliar with spoke behind the other line.

"That's Deuce!" Ace exclaimed, his eyes gleaming in excitement.

_"Give that back, pirate!"_

_"It looks like a case of Beck's Triad. His cardiac sound is dropping, his jugular veins are swelling, and his blood pressure is dropping. So it's most probably—"_

"A cardiac tamponade…" she answered. That was a rare case. A dangerous, rare case.

_"Yes, according to the monitor there's a fluid around his heart. I need your permission to operate on him, Dr. Lyra. Or I will be forced to open him up here in the emergency room."_

Lyra pressed her eyes shut as she fought a rising panic. "That would be medical malpractice, Deuce-san. Is Nurse Pill there?"

_"I-I'm here!"_

"Please let them use the OR."

_"But-but they are pirates!"_

"They are different. You can trust them," she insisted, brushing off the two pirate's who snapped their heads in her direction.

 _"But what if they stabbed us in the back and-_ _"_

"A person is dying, Nurse Pill!" Lyra hissed, opening her eyes to glare at the Den Den Mushi. Taft jumped in surprise. "Do you think we have time to waste?! What you should focus on is how to save that person's life!"

There was a pause.

All eyes were on her and she couldn't care less. She honestly felt helpless with her stuck in this operating room but if there was someone willing to help, no matter who they were, then they must accept it and deal with the consequences later.

Especially if someone's life is on the line.

_"I-I understand."_

"Thank you," she exhaled, "Please save him, Deuce-san."

_"I will."_

**Gacha**

Lyra slumped her shoulders, and breathed out a tired sigh. Problems were coming one after the other and she was really grateful at the support the Whitebeard pirates were giving to this little village. She just hoped everything would go well at the end of the day.

"Worried?" Marco asked her as he neatly tied the thread. "Cut."

"Cut." Lyra snipped. "Should I be worried?"

Marco glanced at her. "No. Deuce is one of the best doctors in our crew. Ace can attest to that, yoi."

Lyra peeked at the bouncy Ace, and she could not help but smile at his radiating happiness. "It's true! He always patched me up everytime I got into fights!" Ace boasted. "Well, Marco does that too. But I swear Deuce is an amazing doctor!"

Lyra giggled, his words elevating her mood. "Thank you. That's really reassuring."

Marco shook his head, and resumed sewing. "I'm nearly done. Cut."

"Cut."

"Forceps." Lyra gave it to him. Marco prodded some tissues. "Everything's okay…" he checked. "We just need to close the wound, yoi."

Lyra heaved a sigh in relief, and rolled her stiff shoulders. She thought things were going smoothly, and that they could relax even for a moment, until out of nowhere, the ground shook.

Everyone was shocked, and Lyra immediately grabbed the table to steady herself. All the equipment rattled, some even toppled but thankfully Ace was quick and held the poles with his hand while he caught Taft just in time before he could smash himself in the monitor. Marco, thank god, held the patient's body while he looked at her, his eyes narrowing in question.

Lyra shook her head in reply, unsure, and then she heard it, a sound of drilling outside the tent. _'Don't tell me…'_

Finally, the tremor stopped, same with that disturbing sound. Ace was the first one to react.

"What the hell?"

"What just happened?" Taft said. Ace let go of him, and he stood, holding his head.

Lyra, flustered and confused, wanted to know that as well. But she had an idea. And she prayed to god that it was not what she had in mind.

"Dr. Lyra!" someone called outside the tent. They all looked at the entrance. "It's Langdon-san! He-he is digging through the building!"

She knew it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ugh. I love Ace. I love Marco. They are both blessings in this world.  
> I hope you stay tuned! Comments please! I will really appreciate your comments!


	4. Doctor's Pride

Chapter 4

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Doctor's Pride

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_"Wear the white coat with dignity and pride—it is an honor and privilege to get to serve the public as a physician."― Bill H. Warren, MD_

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Lyra waited for another tremor to happen.

But it never came.

Glancing restlessly at the entrance, she wondered what happened outside the tent. The person who reported the incident hadn't returned which only heightened her apprehension. She assumed they were able to put an end to Dale's insanity but thought otherwise, knowing the man would probably think of another idea to ruin everyone's day. Or life.

For the past three days she knew Dale, she discovered how annoyingly persistent the man was. He would not stop unless someone physically harmed him or verbally reprimanded him from his evil plans.

In this case, she sincerely hopedsomeone was able to do the former.

"Stapler." Marco extended his hand, his voice snapping her out of her thoughts. Lyra carefully placed the white stapler to his open palm before noticing the scandalized look Ace was making.

Lyra stifled a laugh. How adorable.

"Do you really have to do that?" Ace asked, clearly disgusted. His breath hitched when the stapler touched the wound.

As a response, Marco slowly looked at him with a mischievous glint in his eyes. Ace glared at him in warning but Marco, to her genuine surprise, punched the stapler, embedding the wire down to connect the open flesh.

Lyra let out a silent laugh at the pure horror that appeared on Ace's face.

Covering his eyes with his arm, Ace cursed loudly at Marco, "Damn you!"

* * *

Whitebeard scrutinized the brat who apparently was not using his brain. He personally came to see the situation the village was in, and what welcomed him was this.

A selfish noble putting the life of others at risk.

"Let go of me, you scums! I'm a noble! I demand some respect!"

Jozu and Fossa were holding the noble on his arms, his feet dangling from the ground. The noble wiggled like a worm he is, screeching and threatening at them to put him down.

According to the mayor of this village, his name was Dale Langdon, a noble from Prodence Kingdom who came to this island six months ago to construct a Power Plant with the permission of the World Government. Because of the invincible power he held, the villagers did not dare protest nor retaliate on his mistreatments for fear it might have an adverse effect on their side. They were only a small village. What could they possibly do in the power that was beyond them?

One good example of his abuse of power was his reckless stunt he pulled a while back. Dale knew the villagers wouldn't stop him, so he dug through the building using an excavator. If it weren't for his intervention, that brat might have killed some innocent lives who were recuperating in the medical tents near the collapsed building.

"So, this is the brat?" Whitebeard asked, looking down at the mayor who stood next to him. The small man only reached his knee, his crouched back supported by a wooden cane held tightly with his hand.

"Ah yes, that's him." The mayor replied, his voice gruff and weak. The noble did not bother to hide his burning hate as he glared venomously at the reason of his capture. Ignoring the noble as if he was not there at all, the mayor continued, "Thank you for accepting my small request, Whitebeard. It was a great honor to have you in our little village. Though we apologize for the state we are in."

"Gurararara! Well, it was a good way to start our day," Whitebeard grinned, and with a jerk of his head, he ordered his son, "Tie him up."

The noble struggled, panic-stricken. "Wha-what?! Do you know who I am?! I am Dale Langdon, you hear me?! I am a noble!" Haruta motioned Jozu and Fossa to put him down. While tying him, the noble continued to prattle, his shrilling voice grating their ears. "The world government will hear this atrocity! I'm not afraid of you, pirates!"

Everyone who heard the ridiculous words that spouted from his mouth looked blankly at him as if he was stupid.

Maybe he really was stupid. Stupidly naive.

* * *

"Captain Pinkbeard! Bad news!"

"What the fuck is it this time?!"

"It-It's 16th Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates, captain! What-what should we do?"

"I ain't afraid, you shitty scoundrels! I say we beat the crap out of him!"

* * *

Izo smirked. Who would have thought that lady luck was on his side?

Their old man had ordered them to protect the village, predicting an attack would happen again sooner or later. Because of that, they started a harmless bet on what direction the pirates would attack. Izou chose north, and thank god those foolish pirates chose the place he was in.

"Ah, brave little ones. Your sacrifice will never be in vain." He cocked his pistols, pointing it to the incoming pirates. "16th Division, prepare for battle!"

* * *

Ace looked as if he was in pain every time the sound of stapler clicked on the patient's skin. Tightly closing his eyes, he spared himself of the gross image that would surely ingrain in his mind. The thin, metal wire that pierced the open wound frankly grossed him out, and just the sound of it sent a chill down his spine.

Another hair-raising click was heard, and Ace wanted so bad to cover his ears with his hands. However, Marco warned him never to touch his face with his gloves on. Avoid transmitting disease at all costs, he said.

"All done, yoi." Marco finally declared.

Ace slightly opened his eyes. "Really?"

"Yeah," Marco's blue eyes did a quick scan on the wound then affirmed with a nod. "All that's left is to wrap him up."

Ace inwardly heaved a sigh of relief. After almost five hours of operation, at last it was over.

"Good job, Ace-kun!" Lyra said, giving him a thumbs up.

"You really did well for a first-timer, yoi," Marco commended, nudging his shoulder as he stepped back from the operating table.

Ace beamed visibly, his heart soaring at the compliment he received. He honestly did not do much compared to them. Updating Marco with the patient's vitals and squeezing a bag of blood were his only duty yet it meant tremendously to the people who requested his assistance.

He mentally patted himself at the back for a job well done.

With a giddy smile, Ace followed Marco's example as he pulled the latex gloves out of his hands. He did it meticulously, recalling the instructions Marco had told him about the proper way of wearing and removing their surgical attire before they started the surgery.

"Nurse Taft, can you please finish this up and dress his wounds after?" Lyra said, untying the knot of her surgical gown as she walked around the operating table, passing them by without a glance.

"Yes, doctor!" Taft nodded then with a worried tone, he asked, "Aren't you going to rest?"

Ace's ears perked up, waiting as well for her response. He watched as she hurriedly removed her gown, revealing a gray sweater and white skirt that reached down her legs. A small hum of acknowledgement escaped her lips.

"I will. Later," she said distractedly as she doffed her surgical mask and cap, throwing it to the bin near the entrance.

"But that's what you also said last time," Taft uttered in distress.

Ace and Marco shared a glance.

"Did I?" she said, pausing in thought. She shrugged and Taft's brow furrowed in concern. "Thank you for worrying but I will be fine," she assured, and before anyone of them could even comment on what she said, she was out in a flash.

Without her coat.

* * *

Marco and Ace immediately followed Lyra after Taft had informed them of her current situation. As a doctor, it bothered him that she was not taking care of her health, and he did not want to worsen whatever the woman was feeling because of an imminent cold.

As they jogged towards the direction she ran off to, Marco spotted his father and siblings surrounding the woman they were looking for, including the bane of everyone's existence. Dale.

It was an unexpected sight. Dale was kneeling on the snowy ground, his upper body tied in a rope with Jozu and Fossa standing both on his sides, acting like a prison guard. His family, including their old man, was behind them, quietly watching and observing the rising tension between Lyra and Dale.

Surprisingly, Lyra appeared unruffled at the presence of his crew as she stood firmly before the noble, her shoulder tense and fists clenched while Dale released his rage in a series of insults. Lyra looked calm and collected, but the way she stood and held herself implied that she was gradually losing her patience. Dale, however, boldly ignored the disapproving looks thrown at him, unashamed to broadcast his anger with his booming voice of his.

Stopping a respectful distance from Lyra, Marco locked eyes with his pops, his blue eyes posing a question: _'Is this alright?'_

Whitebeard only grinned.

"You fucking bitch! Did you call them here? Huh?!"

"I don't know what you're talking about, sir." was Lyra's simple reply. Her calmness only amplified the noble's anger.

"Ha! I could only think of one reason why these pirates would help a bitch like you. I bet you sold your body to them, you slut!" Dale seethed, his lips curling in disgust. "Do you think I will let this slide? I will call the Admirals and arrest you!"

Lyra exhaled, and Marco could feel her patience thinning. "Then allow me to say this before you call those Admirals, _sir._ You've crossed the line. I have tolerated your insults and baseless slander for the past three days but what you did this time is something I cannot ignore. You've involved the lives of others. I told you many times to be patient, yet you can't even wait for a day to pass."

"And I told you many times that those documents are important!" Dale argued back, his nose flaring. "Do you know exactly what those documents are? They are treaties with the World Government on peaceful business reconstruction! This is a national problem! Do you know how grave the situation is? Oh right," he scoffed, rolling his eyes, "You don't know because you're just a doctor!"

Marco snapped his head at the noble, not amused at his choice of words. Discrediting their profession was a dumb move, and even his brothers would agree that Dale was a total jackass for saying that. Flickering his eyes to Lyra, he was expecting her to lash out and turn violent, but only to find himself admiring the woman for restraining herself and staying cool headed at this very moment. Unlike his brothers and himself, they were restless and on edge, itching to destroy the man with their own hands.

_That woman has a patient of a saint._

Lyra looked down at the foolish noble, emerald eyes glowing with a fire that made her look vibrant and stunning, her voice turning into a quiet lethalness as she said, "Don't you dare compare my profession to your greedy desires, Dale. I am not _just_ a doctor," she clenched her fist tighter, "Unlike you, it matters to me who lives or dies. That means even if a jerk like you is in danger, I will do whatever it takes to save you."

"And should I be thankful for that?" Dale spat out as he raised himself from the ground. Jozu and Fossa were quickly on guard, ready to stop the noble if he did not act accordingly. "You can't save everyone, you piece of shit! What an ugly bitch like you should do is to fuck and please men! You? A doctor? A coward like you can't even step inside an operating room!"

At this point, Marco lost every inch of patience that he had. He was about to give the noble a good beating but stopped when a certain Fire Fist passed him, leaving trails of melted snow on his path.

"What did you just say to her?" Ace was suddenly in front of Lyra, his back facing her, shocking the woman and his crew at his unexpected appearance.

Marco sighed, knowing too well that once the raven head started, no one could stop him.

Marco hoped Dale would choose the right words this time.

"You clearly heard me." Dale cocked his head, and smirked.

"And you clearly don't want to take the risk of saying that again," Ace growled, his voice edged with molten anger as he stepped closer to the noble.

"What? That she's an ugly bitch? Or a coward? Why? Did she fuck you so good, pirate?"

Dale officially dug his own grave at that remark, and Marco knew then and there that he was going to lose his life.

Ace snapped. And before Dale could even utter another word, Ace punched him.

Ace punched him _hard._

Lyra gasped.

The pirates cheered.

Whitebeard laughed merrily and his crew's roar of excitement erupted throughout the frosty hill. Lyra gaped like a silly goldfish and Marco merely chuckled, shaking his head in amusement at the sudden turn of events as he walked towards the doctor.

"Let pops take care of him, yoi." Marco said as he draped his coat on her shoulders.

"Marco!" she turned to him in panic, her wide emerald eyes blinking up at his blue ones. "But Ace—"

"—will be fine," he finished.

Lyra bit her lip, and Marco could not help but smile at her worried expression.

"Shouldn't we stop him?" Lyra asked, clutching the coat closer to her body.

Marco looked at the madness that was happening behind her and concluded that no, they should not, because his pops could easily handle a blazing, pissed-off Ace without their help.

"You should worry more about yourself, yoi," he said then gently cupped her cheeks to check her condition. Lyra stared at him, a little taken aback by the sudden contact. Stroking her cheek with his thumb, he frowned at the abnormal heat that coursed through his palm, as well as the redness of her cheeks, and the grim exhaustion behind her eyes. _She has a fever,_ he observed. Clearly, this woman needed a rest.

Without warning, the hand that was holding her cheek burst in a dazzling mix of blue and yellow flames. Lyra jumped. Marco expected her to pull away but was surprised when Lyra instead leaned her cheek closer to his hand, nuzzling at the flames that warmed her body. She lowered her eyes, and a sigh of contentment breathed out from her. Marco watched her in open fascination and a soft smile graced his lips at her endearing look.

Already expecting the woman to lose consciousness any second now, Marco put his arm around her shoulder, and another at the back of her knees. He carried her with ease, and the woman did not protest, her eyes slowly fluttering close as exhaustion eventually took over her.

Taft was right, she was really worn-out.

Staring at the woman who was finally sleeping soundly in his arms, he wondered how this woman could withstand the harsh words thrown at her by that sorry excuse of a human. A woman like her should be respected and praised for what she selflessly did for this village, and not to be treated like dirt by a scumbag who didn't even know how to value the life of others.

Helping a village was not an easy feat especially if one was alone. Truly, this woman was amazing and deserved a good, long rest.

With one last look at the chaos before him, he trudged his way down the hill and smiled when the woman burrowed her face to his neck.

"Sleep well, Lyra."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A long chapter this time. And I don't know if this is good. I had a hard time writing this, all the romance is eating my brains! Yes! It's here! The romance is budding! AHHHH! I could just imagine Marco being soft and cool on his SO. Maybe possessive too? Hmm. I read some headcanons about Marco on tumblr and I'm gonna try to write one for the next next next chapter.
> 
> Thank you so much for all the comments! You all rock! 
> 
> Stay tuned to the next chapter! Ciao!


	5. The Warmth of Winter

Chapter 5

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The Warmth of Winter

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_Of all the things you choose in life, you don't get to choose what your nightmares are. You don't pick them; they pick you. - John Irving_

_._

_._

_._

" _We have to operate on him first. Otherwise, he is going to die!"_

" _I said no! Transfer him."_

" _Why? Explain to me why I can't operate on him?!" Lyra didn't understand. She really couldn't understand. A person was dying, and he was clinging on a line that only her could support. She couldn't afford to delay the surgery any longer because that person would certainly lose his life if she waited for another day to pass._

_She could save him! Why wouldn't they listen?!_

" _The other patient is a prince from another country. He is your priority."_

" _A royalty?"_

" _He came a long way to have this surgery. And we reserved your name under him. So, you better leave that patient and focus on the prince!"_

" _He is not even in a life-threatening situation so why-"_

" _Just listen to your damn orders Lyra so no problems will occur from this!"_

_Lyra's face turned grim, and a wave of disgust and sickening detestation washed over her. It was happening again: Status over urgency. Money over life. Fear over principles._

_Just what's with this twisted way of thinking?_

_She didn't become a doctor for this sick system of discrimination._

" _I can't," she said, determined, and with one final glare, she walked away from the doctor and towards the operating room where her patient was, leaving the doctor gaping and speechless._

_Closing the door behind her, she ignored the nurses' questioning looks, and prepared herself for the surgery with their assistance. Fully donned in surgical attire, she then proceeded to face the patient lying on the table._

" _Lock all the doors. Turn off the den den mushi. No one is allowed to leave this room until the surgery is over."_

_The nurses glanced at each other; eyes worried, nervous. They had no idea what was happening but chose not to delve on it. They have a patient to save. That was what matters._

" _Scalpel."_

_The operation started, and Lyra pierced the patient's stomach, forgetting the outside world as she cut a straight line down just above its navel. Blood oozed out of the line, flowing, and dripping down the floor like an overflowing dam. It stained her shoes, but she paid no heed to it, her focus solely on the patient diagnosed with peritonitis. When she was about to ask for a gauze to wipe off the blood, she heard it._

_A cry of an infant._

_Lyra whirled around, searching for the sound that shouldn't belong in this room. It was loud, distracting, and in pain. As if it was begging to be saved, to be comforted. It roused a rising panic on her throat, making it hard to breathe, because the sound seemed familiar. So painfully familiar. She turned to ask for help and that's when she noticed that she was alone. The nurses were gone. The patient was nowhere to be seen. And it was dark. Cold. Suffocating._

_A sickening wave of terror welled from her chest._

_Lyra took a step back, her knees wobbling. She was about to scamper away when a hand gripped hers -wet and sticky, and Lyra jumped, jerking her hand away in shock._

_She looked down at the hand that grabbed hers only to regret it, because instead of the patient she was supposed to treat, it was her sister._

_Her pregnant sister._

_She screamed, watching as torrents of scarlet river gushed out of her sister's belly. She was crying. A baby was crying._

_Lyra wanted to vomit._

_Bloodied hands tried to reach for her again and pained emerald eyes met her scared ones, pleading, calling._

" _Please save my baby, Doctor," she said. "I don't care what happens to me. Just please… please save my baby…_

… _please."_

Lyra woke up with a gasp. Sweat trickled down her chin as she panted harshly. Trembling hands shot up to cover her face, taking a deep breath out of her lungs to keep her rampaging heart in place. She sat up, a little dizzy, ignoring the bed creaking at her movement.

" _Please save my baby."_

A whimper tore from her throat, and she choked it down before it could lead to another. Knees drawn, Lyra focused on her breathing, failing to notice the person who sat on the right side of her bed. She flinched when a hand touched hers and with a gentle nudge, as if to ask for permission, the person peeled her fingers away from her face.

"Are you okay, yoi?"

Lyra blinked her glassy eyes, slowly recognizing the blonde hair and beautiful blue eyes of the doctor she had recently met. Instinctively, and to his surprise, she gripped the hand that held hers and pressed it to her cheek in a mix of panic and desperation. Closing her eyes, brows furrowed, she leaned on his warmth, checking and clarifying if everything was real, and if the hand that reached for hers this time was alive.

' _A dream,'_ she thought. _'Just a dream.'_

A moment passed and Marco remained silent, giving her time to breathe and to collect her thoughts. He did not pull his hand away, simply watching as her shoulders gradually loosen and the wrinkle between her brows relaxed. After a while, she replied,

"I'm fine," she whispered softly and met his eyes, "I-I'm sorry for this." Flustered, she brought his hand down gently to her lap, releasing her hold. Marco only caught it again to his grasp.

"It's okay, yoi," he said, his mouth curving into a smile. As if to prove his point, he clasped his hand securely to hers.

A blush adorned her cheeks and she focused her gaze to his fingers. Embarrassment dawned on her at how intimate the gesture was. She honestly had no idea what to do in this kind of situation. She loved the warmth his hand provided, but she didn't want to be a nuisance, bearing in mind the clipboard that he was holding. He was probably busy reading that before she woke up. Tugging her hand discreetly, Lyra froze when Marco tightened his grip. Her eyes flew to his, which turned out to be a bad idea. She found him staring, humor danced in his eyes.

Oh god, why is his eyes so beautiful? "Wha-wha-what happened to me?" she asked quickly and looked away, distracting herself at the sight of his teasing look by checking the room she was staying at.

She remembered the nice lady -Holly- who provided her this room at her humble home, a show of her gratitude when she helped her husband just in time from breaking his legs in that tragic incident. Unfortunately, she wasn't able to use it because of the work that piled up… Well, until today.

Marco chuckled then shifted his attention to the clipboard that he was previously reading, still mindful of her soft hands. "You had a fever. I heard you did not sleep for three days, yoi."

"Oh…" Lyra blushed. "How long was I asleep?"

"A day."

"A day?!" Her eyes were nearly wide as dinner plates as she gaped at the thought of sleeping for that long. Now she understood why her body felt light and revitalized. Her headache was gone too and so the pains in her body. But she missed a lot of work!

Sparkling blue eyes watched her reaction in amusement, a smirk quirking on his lips. "You deserved the rest, yoi."

Lyra began to gnaw her bottom lips nervously, looking at his hand again. "Then what happened to the patient?"

"He is awake, yoi. He reunited with his family."

She smiled at the news. "And Dale?"

"My siblings tied him in the excavator."

Ah, Dale definitely earned that. "And Ace?"

"Completely fine."

"That's good," she muttered while nodding. 'That lessened my worries,' she thought as she absentmindedly played with his fingers, pressing the callouses with hidden curiosity. Marco let her, finding her little massages pleasing.

Nothing followed after that, only comfortable silence. Both of them didn't bother to shatter the peacefulness that lingered in the room, choosing to bask on it.

Lyra tried to sneak a surreptitious glance to Marco, and she couldn't help but admire how his black turtleneck fit snugly across his broad shoulders, hugging his form that hinted a strong, and well-toned body. Emerald eyes flicked to the sleeves pulled up to his elbows, down to his bare arms then to the hand that was on her lap. She compared his hand to her smaller ones. It was large and full of calluses, but she could feel the strength behind its roughness.

Really, this man was attractive, handsome even. Especially with the way he thoroughly checked those medical files on that clipboard.

Lyra continued to stare at him until someone wretched open the door with a loud a bang, causing them to snap their heads at the sudden guest.

"Marco, is she awake -ohhhh!" Thatch drawled out, his mouth forming into a sly smirk at the not so innocent scene that greeted him. "Did I interrupt something?"

Marco shot him a dirty look and Thatch's smirk grew wider when he caught Lyra quickly pulled her hand away and kept it close to her chest with a furious blush covering her face. It amused him that Marco was acting cool and undisturbed at the loss of contact, but Thatch knew better. Oh, he knew better.

The blue turkey was disappointed.

"Didn't I tell you to knock, yoi?" Marco scolded.

Ignoring Marco's comment, he crossed his arms and playfully pointed out, "So I did interrupt something."

Marco scowled at him. "What do you want, yoi?"

"I just want to check if Lyra-chan is awake. Sheesh," he said and turned to the said woman, smiling a mile wide. "I bet you're hungry, Lyra-chan! You missed two meals!"

Lyra blinked, realizing that she was indeed hungry at the mention of food. "I-I do feel hungry," she mumbled shyly.

"Knew it. Good thing Holly-san gave me permission to use her kitchen. I'll be back in a sec to bring you some food, Lyra-chan~"

"Oh, thank you but you don't need to bother I—"

"No no no, Lyra-chan. You stay there. Rest. Relax. Talk more with Marco. Bond more with Marco, okay?" He winked, and before Marco could say anything, probably to admonish or destroy him, Thatch closed the door to save his life, mercilessly leaving the two in an awkward silence.

* * *

Thatch returned after ten minutes with a steaming bowl of soup and Lyra almost drool at the enticing smell that reached her nose. The smell was heavenly, and it only made her aware of how hungry she was.

"Wolftail soup for you, milady. By yours truly, the amazing and charismatic chef, Thatch."

Lyra heard Marco scoffed as he flipped the paper to the next page while Thatch, as usual, ignored him as he stood near to where the blonde doctor was seated, watching her in eager anticipation.

Lyra smiled in gratitude and began swirling the spoon to inspect the contents of the soup, finding meat, scallions, mushroom, and a variety of vegetables much to her delight. The steam wafted on her face and the smell itself was enough to warm and refresh her body.

Scooping a generous amount of soup with meat, Lyra carefully put it inside her mouth and a moan of pleasure erupted from her at the marvelous taste that exploded on her tongue.

Thatch literally glowed in glee.

"How is it?"

"This is so delicious, Thatch-san! I love it!" Lyra complimented, taking another bite. She loved the softness and tenderness of the meat, and the richness of the soup itself. The soup, in her opinion, was unquestionably marvelous!

Thatch stuck his nose up in the air, facing Marco who looked at him with an impassive expression. "Ha! See that! Food can also be a way to a woman's heart!"

Marco put down his clipboard and fixed his blank gaze at him. "Do you know the quickest way to a person's heart?" he nonchalantly said, and Thatch leaned forward, ears open. Lyra eyed the blonde as well in mild interest as she chewed a potato in her mouth.

"Sure loverboy, what?"

...

"It's through their fourth and fifth ribs."

Thatch shuddered and stared at the phoenix as if he was crazy. "Oh my god Marco! Stop saying scary things!" he said, backing away from him.

Lyra giggled, "But that's true, and a fact."

Marco shrugged, smirking. "What she said, yoi."

"But that's so wrong! Just no!" Thatch cried, holding his head. "That's not a good pickup line—"

"Lyra!"

Another loud bang echoed in the room, and everyone present looked at the intruder in shock. It was Ace -a shirtless Ace, and he was panting as if he just ran a marathon.

Why was he shirtless in such cold weather?

"You're awake!" Ace cheered.

"Learn how to knock for god's sake, yoi!" Marco exclaimed. "And where's your coat?"

Ace ignored the older man, dashing to Lyra's side. Marco's brow twitched in annoyance and Thatch just patted his shoulder in comfort.

"How are you? Are you still sick?" Ace asked.

"I'm-I'm okay. Thank you for asking," Lyra said, a nervous smile plastered on her lips. It baffled her mind how this man could saunter without a shirt on. Even with a comfortable blanket and a sweater on, she could still feel the crisp of winter. Maybe it was the rumored power Ace possessed? But still, it worries her that he might get a cold. "Where's your coat, Ace-kun?"

"It got burned."

Marco whirled his head to Ace, his eyes narrowed into slits. "What did you do, yoi?"

"Nothing," Ace muttered, avoiding eye contact.

Thatch snickered, "You're so dead."

"Thatch." Marco glared at the cook this time. "What the hell happened, yoi?"

"Don't look at me, man!" Thatch raised his hands in surrender. "Ask pops!"

"Ah! Speaking of pops!" Ace sat on the available chair. "He wants to talk to you."

Lyra put down her spoon, confusion crossed her face. "May I ask why?"

"I can't say it," said the raven head as he propped his ankle over his other thigh. Lyra blinked at the excited grin the Ace was showing her. "You should hear it from pops himself."

Nervously, Lyra moistened her lips then glanced at Thatch who was smiling as if he knew something. Marco was the same, his once irritated scowl now turned to a smile, his eyes glinting with mirth. Now she felt more confused because just what did the strongest man in the whole world want from a doctor like her?

"I'm not in trouble, am I?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another update! Another romance! Did anyone see the new chapter of One Piece?! I don't want to spoil anyone but Oda really made everyone happy on the latest chapter! Including me! I need someone to talk to about this!
> 
> My birthday is coming next week! And I only wish for world peace! The world is really chaotic right now and I pray for everyone's safety! Please be safe! Our country is in a bad state and I hope everything will be okay soon...
> 
> Thank you so much for reading this! I really appreciate those people who checked this story! I love you all! Please comment again! Motivation! Motivation is the key! I have lots of prompts for Marco and Lyra so that their romance will bloom to the fullest! I am excited to write them all! But I need your support! I need your feedback! It will totally help! Again, thank you so much! Ciao!


	6. The Calling of the Sea

Chapter 6

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The Calling of the Sea

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_"Medicine really matured me as a person because, as a physician, you're obviously dealing with life and death issues… if you can handle that, you can handle anything." ― Ken Jeong, MD via The Aquarian_

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After a terrible accident that scarred Lyra, her guardian had no choice but to kick her out of the country. Lyra thought that perhaps it was for the better. The longer she stayed, the more her heart would break. So, sailing the seas with no destination in mind was a blinding comfort, her medical bag and a strict order from her guardian served as her only company.

Lyra remembered clearly the selfish command thrown at her and the pain behind those words despite its harshness that resembled the stinging cold of winter.

" _Live. And don't you dare come back once you fix yourself!"_

Lyra complied. She was trying. And for five years of traveling and wandering alone, those words reverberated her mind every waking moment. It was an order she must follow. An order that she must keep in mind even on death's doorstep.

Yet as far as she knew, between those dreamless nights and unpredictable mornings, the thought of becoming a pirate never occurred in her mind.

So for the life of her, she had no idea why the creator of cosmos wanted her to be constantly involved with pirates.

Lots and lots of pirates.

She understood that pirates existed in every corner of the world. It was inevitable, of course. Because this was their era. But what she could not understand was why she had to be involved with them.

She could not count anymore how many pirates invited _(forced)_ her to be part of their own.

It was maddening. Because no matter how much she tried to avoid them, the universe would always make a way to connect her fate with the so-called children of the sea.

Today was no exception. This time, as if to mock her with inescapable doom, the universe had decided to connect her fate with the strongest crew in the four blue seas.

The Whitebeard Pirates.

"What do you say, young lady? Want to join my crew?"

Lyra stared openly at the man who was given the title of being the strongest man alive. The man who was known to rival the dead Pirate King. The man who could conquer the world with a snap of his finger.

Her guardian warned her of this man. Edward Newgate, a pirate closest to the infamous One Piece, was someone she could never meddle with. If she ever met him -which is now, she should keep in mind to never hurt his family. Well, apparently, according to the unwritten law of the universe, that would be the most sinful crime she could commit in the sea.

So, it only made sense not to accept such a tempting offer. The probability of hurting them was higher if she joined than choosing to wander on her own again. Not that she was planning to hurt them. Oh no, no. But joining a crew as of the moment was not the best idea considering the problems that stubbornly followed her for the past few months.

And so, with that decision in mind, she mustered a sincere smile and said, "Thank you so much for the offer but I have to decline."

Lyra resisted the urge to bury her face further on her scarf when the group of men surrounding Whitebeard stared at her in shock. Even Marco, Thatch, and Ace, who were standing close on her side, were in disbelief.

As Whitebeard sat comfortably on a wooden box, he regarded the woman in front of her with an interested gleam in his eyes. Draping his arms over his knees, he grinned, seemingly unbothered. "May I ask the reason why?"

Lyra cleared her throat and fought down a blush when everyone focused their whole attention on her.

"I-I believed I would cause more trouble than good, Newgate-san," she said carefully. "I may be a doctor, but I have flaws that might not benefit you in the future. You heard Dale. I am not—"

"I will not judge your skills just because you can't step inside an operating room, brat." Whitebeard cut her off, his wide grin still in place. "Doctors who follow their principles in these harsh seas are rare these days. I like you."

Lyra brushed aside the soft flutter that caressed her traitorous heart. Damn it.

"You're a great doctor, Lyra!" Ace exclaimed, jumping right in front of her face. "Dale is an asshole! Who cares what he said!"

"Seconded!" Thatch said with a sagely nod.

Lyra gaped intelligently at the shirtless raven head, a fiery blush flooding her cheeks. "I-I'm very flattered with your compliment but I'm just a doctor. I don't want to be a burden—"

"You won't!" Ace interrupted her, plopping his hands on his hips. "We're family! We protect each other!"

"No one is a burden in our crew, yoi," Marco added confidently. "We support each other in any way we can."

Ace shook his head, his eyes so bright and sparky. "You won't regret it. I swear!"

Lyra pursed her lips and glanced at Whitebeard. He was expectantly looking down at her as if he knew, just in a matter of time, that she would eventually cave in.

Oh, how confident of him.

But actually, she was.

Dragging her eyes away from him, she shifted her attention to Ace who looked so excited and so adorable at the way his freckles stretched from grinning ear to ear.

"Gurararara! How about giving us a chance, brat? Sail with us for a while then you can decide whether to stay or not."

If possible, Ace's face brightened more at the proposal his pops presented to her. She could feel her resolve collapsing on the ground.

"Yeah! You can sail with us for a year!" Ace proclaimed.

"Isn't one year too long?" Thatch questioned. "But meh, that's good too." He shrugged, grinning.

"No pressure, yoi," Marco said and smiled warmly at her. "We won't force you to stay with us if you don't want to."

' _Stop it. Stop it. Stop it,'_ she mentally chanted. Just seeing that smile completely crushed her resolve. How could she say no when he was smiling like that?! She cursed the heavens above at how unfair the world was.

Lyra pulled in a deep breath and gathered every single bit of courage she had inside of her before leaping into the world of adventures and piracy. Oh god, she really caved in. _Damn you, universe._

"One month. Give me one month and we'll see."

* * *

Lyra never thought a lot could happen in a span of twelve hours. The news that reached her was relieving and at the same time it brought a flux of unease -Holly was overjoyed and she wouldn't stop yattering at how handsome and gallant Whitebeard's men were. Lyra would've agreed if only the said men were out of hearing range.

The appearance of the Whitebeard pirates was truly a blessing. They were able to help the village in a short amount of time. There were no more critical patients. The rubbles from the destroyed Power plant was finally cleaned up. The pirates who attacked the village four days ago were kicked out of the island. The marine base on the capital was attacked causing the marines to leave and abandon it… The village was now under Whitebeard's protection…

The last two were appalling. What was more shocking was Ace caused the disastrous chaos -Whitebeard allowed him and when Marco found out, he was not amused.

" _Technically, it wasn't on fire." Ace defended himself._

" _Of course it wasn't on fire! You completely blow it up, yoi!" Marco retorted back._

" _At least the village was safe?"_

" _We're going to talk about this later, yoi."_

" _Do I have a choice?"_

" _No."_

"Why do I have to be scolded?" Ace mumbled under his breath.

Lyra giggled, hearing him loud and clear. "You shouldn't have done that, Ace."

"But they wanted to take credit of your hard work when they did nothing in the first place," he said, crossing his arms over his bare chest. "They even threatened the villagers to make sure they kept quiet."

_So that's the reason._

Lyra smiled sweetly, genuinely flattered. "Thank you, Ace. That's very kind of you."

Ace blushed hotly.

The two of them walked side by side in the shoveled streets of the village with Lyra greeting the villagers with a small nod and a polite smile. By happy chance, the weather today was tamed. Unlike the hail and sleet that stormed the island from the past few days, the sun was warmer now, and the cold did not sting as harshly as it did two days ago.

After the nerve-wracking meeting with Whitebeard, Marco and Thatch left her with Ace, excusing themselves to take care of work. They needed to replenish their supplies which was also Ace's job but Marco, with his terrifyingly calm voice, told Ace to behave and stay with her until work was done.

Lyra welcomed the company of the raven head, sticking close to him to enjoy the warmth his body was emitting. She didn't know if he was doing it unconsciously, but she was thankful, nonetheless.

Stopping at the bottom of the hill, where up ahead was the Power plant that used to stand so proudly, Ace stood beside her, his eyes lingering at the names written in a board set at a small altar before them, a thoughtful frown on his face.

"What is this for?"

"Mayor made a small memorial for those workers who lost their lives in the incident," she said, smiling sadly as her fingers traced at the names of those people who lost their lives under her care. Death visited with a grave warning, and again, even with her best effort, she was not able to chase it away.

"Oh…" Ace averted his gaze from the altar, watching as the white-haired doctor picked up a match to light one of the candles. Closing her eyes, she pressed her palms together in a silent prayer.

Guilt twinge her heart like there were thistles and tacks embedded to it. She failed to save innocent lives. And if only she was a second early then maybe they were back to their families, laughing and sharing a meal with them at this very moment. But death took them away. So selfishly. And so ruthless. And so, she apologized and prayed the dead would forgive her.

Saying last of her prayers, she opened her eyes and smiled at the sight of Ace praying as well. After a while, Ace lowered down his hand and turned to her, a slow grin tilting up his lips.

A glitter of appreciation gleamed on her emerald eyes, and she smiled back, thinking that maybe joining their crew, even for a while, was not that bad. "Let's visit the hospital?"

"Sure! I want you to meet Deuce!"

* * *

Back in Moby Dick...

"Hey, Marco."

"Yes, Pops?"

"I want ten grandkids."

"You want _what_?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am finally done with this chapter! I wrote a lot of drafts for this because I didn't know how I would go on with the crew invitation but it's here! Finally! The fun and fluffy stuff starts here! More more more Marco and Lyra moments in the next chapters! I am so excited to write them!
> 
> I will also accept prompts for them starting now! If you want Ace to be included, that's fine too! I will include those prompts in the story line or maybe make it as an omake! It depends on the prompt. But I'm happy to hear everyone's idea.
> 
> This story will start before Marineford! So lezz do this!
> 
> Thank you for all the support and love! Thank you thank you thank yooouu! Comments are welcome! Go go!


	7. Stargazing

Stargazing

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_"Not just beautiful, though – the stars are like the trees in the forest, alive and breathing. And they're watching me." -Haruki Murakami, Kafka on the Shore_

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The Whitebeard Pirates had to leave the island earlier than expected. So upon knowing this, the villagers had abandoned whatever they were doing and immediately rushed to their saviors to say their goodbyes. It was a heart-warming moment and Lyra had to fight back her tears as relief coursed through her when she saw their happy faces. They were so full of life and so full of energy that they had insistently thrusted their possessions in her hands, claiming it was their farewell gift and payment for her unforgettable kindness. The sweet gesture was truly touching, but Lyra had courteously rejected them all, their hugs and whispers of gratitude were enough as their token of appreciation.

"I'm sorry if we have to rush you, yoi."

Lyra looked up at the tall blonde who was now out of his coat, revealing the black turtleneck she saw him wearing this morning, her white hair slipped off to her back as she assessed the man walking beside her, genuinely taken off guard at his apology.

After setting down her things in the guest cabin, Marco, as the First Division Commander, offered to show her around the ship. He had introduced her mostly to everyone, explaining that some were not present for they were sent to protect their territories. The Whitebeard pirates welcomed her so fervently, ecstatic and madly excited to have a woman on board even if it's just for a while –they voiced out that she should stay forever but Marco shushed and scolded them for pressuring her.

"No worries," she said, a soft smile curving her lips. "I understand the situation, so I don't mind."

"Really?" he glanced at her, stopping in front of a wooden door similar to others they had passed by. "I thought you want to stay a little longer, yoi."

"Mm-hmm," she said and giggled, "Well, that was my plan before you all appeared, but everything went well and everyone's happy so it's okay."

Marco smirked, grasping the doorknob. "Then it's a good thing we spoiled your plan, yoi. We are definitely happy."

Lyra blinked, surprised, and before she could ask him what he meant, Marco swung the door open to reveal a massive and immaculate infirmary she didn't imagine a ship could have.

The first thing Lyra recognized when she entered the room was the strong, antiseptic smell she was extremely familiar with. Next were the clean beds that were positioned evenly, the pristine white sheets, and equipment of best quality. And lastly, the atmosphere. The air in this room was completely different from the rooms Marco had shown her and it certainly brought a sense of comfort.

"This is the medical bay," Marco said as he placed a hand on the small of her back and lightly pushed her forward. The small gesture had her stomach doing gleeful leaps and she mentally slapped herself for feeling something so silly. "Pops prioritizes the health of the crew, so he made sure the equipment is all the latest model and the medicines are well stocked. The medical team is under my command so if you have any questions you can always ask me, yoi."

"Dr. Marco!" Both looked at the man walking in their direction, his grey messy hair bounced at every step, his arms outstretched. He grinned brightly when he saw the white-haired woman standing beside his commander and he lifted a hand, brown eyes sparkling. "You must be the new doctor."

Lyra smiled politely and accepted the hand offered to her. "I am Lyra Truccia, a doctor from Drum Island," she said as she exchanged a handshake, "I hope we get along."

A surprised gasp elicited from the stout man.

"From Drum Island?!" the man shouted. "Jesus, Marco! She's a big shot! Where did you find a doctor like her?!"

Marco chuckled, shaking his head. "It's my first-time hearing about this too, yoi."

Lyra's cheeks reddened and frantically said. "I-I'm not that great—"

"I am Galen. Dr. Galen." He took her hands again, clutching it with desperation. Lyra jumped, startled. "Please, please, _please_ stay. Pretty please. Be our comrade, our sister, our doc—"

A beautiful woman appeared out of nowhere, and Lyra was shocked when the woman roughly shoved Galen aside with a jut of her hips.

"Welcome. I am Siena, the head nurse." She flipped her blonde hair to her slender back then pointed a manicured hand to the man beside her. "And this is Dr. Deuce."

Lyra beamed at the young man Ace was so proud of. "We've met," she said, waving a hand to the young doctor. "Hello."

"Hello, Dr. Lyra!" Deuce waved back, his face lighting up with glee.

"The other nurses are not around," Marco informed her. "They're with Pops right now but you'll usually see them here, yoi."

"I'll introduce them to you later." Siena winked. "We're happy to have you here, Dr. Lyra. Hope you choose to stick around."

"Yes!" Galen sprung from the ground. Siena rolled her eyes at his obnoxiousness. "Stay! Stay, stay, stay! Your medical skills are nee—"

"Marco! Lyra!" Ace was screaming in the hallway. "Let's eat dinner!"

"And that's our cue." Marco wrapped his arm around Lyra, leading her along with him. The female doctor followed willingly, though a little guilty for disregarding the energetic man. "Don't forget to eat dinner, yoi!"

Galen miserably reached out to them. "But- but-"

"Don't pressure her, Gal." Siena reprimanded softly, watching the two doctors leave. "She needs to decide on her own." And then she turned to Deuce, raising her finger in warning. "Don't force her too, young man."

Deuce opened his mouth to retort only to shut it again when Siena shot him a nasty glare. "Yes, ma'am."

* * *

Sleep wouldn't visit her that night.

The ship danced with the waves and she waited for it to lull her to sleep. She waited and waited but sleep seemed to abandon her, leaving her mind raging with nothing but pointless uncertainties. A night such as this was not unusual. It was always difficult for her to sleep, especially when memories that she buried deep inside her mind would crawl its way back and torment her without a hint of warning.

' _Maybe I should take a walk…and maybe read a book as well.'_

Reluctantly sitting up from her bed, Lyra let out a weary sigh. Slowly, she stood up, wore her boots, fished out the book in her bag, and grabbed the sweater hanging on her chair. She left the room with her hair tied in a low ponytail and was surprised when her skin chilled with the icy bite of the air.

She smiled. Good thing she wore a sweater.

As emerald eyes surveyed the deserted ship, she walked aimlessly around like a ghost, her steps slow and quiet. After a while, she stopped to rest her back against the railing, her mind only registering the fact this ship was truly big and wide as if it was a castle in the sea. When she had first stepped on the Moby Dick, the main deck was crowded with men carrying crates and boxes of supplies, a scene that despite its busyness, their big smiles and merry laugh were present. It was a wonderful sight and Lyra immediately felt their strong bond at that single moment.

It was only day one.

But her heart was definitely moved.

' _Why am I so easy to please?'_ she groaned inside her head.

Staring attentively in the dark sky, she hugged her book on her chest, allowing the close breeze to gently blow her hair and to even tousle her skirt. The stillness of night was calming, and she enjoyed how the stars decorated the blank canvas of the sky like sparkling jewels in a treasure chest.

Lyra considered looking at the stars as a luxury. Back in her home, stars were rare and few. The Drum Island was always covered with thick, snow clouds so a dark sky being illuminated with thousands of stars was a real blessing.

She remembered the times when she would just watch the snow fall from the dark clouds. She would stay outside for hours until her guardian would forcefully bring her home, and she would be disappointed because her heart -so broken and in pain, did not freeze to numb everything she felt. The thought of taking her life at that time was tempting, so tempting—

"Can't sleep, yoi?"

Lyra jolted and her head turned automatically at the sound of that familiar voice. It was Marco and he ambled his way towards her, a steaming coffee on his hand and a charming smile on his face. She noticed with a slight breathlessness the eyeglasses sitting on his nose and Lyra could not help but admire how much it suits him. The long sleeves he was wearing only added to his attractiveness.

"Good evening." She bowed her head in greeting.

"Good evening, yoi." Marco stood next to her and Lyra forced her heart to calm down when their shoulders innocently brushed as he shifted to face the sea and leaned his arms to the railings, coffee gripped securely on his hand.

Averting her sinful eyes away from the man who blessed her with his presence, she tried her best not to pay attention to his bare arms.

' _Oh why?'_ she thought. _'Why did she have to be hit with an eyeful of casual sexiness so late in the evening!'_

But she appreciated the distraction since her mind almost went where it should not be.

' _What an amazing distraction, really.'_

Taking a deep breath, she willed herself to focus on her shoes. "How about you? Can't sleep as well?"

"Paper works," he said simply, taking a sip of the bitter taste of his drink. "I was gonna go back to my room but then I saw you all alone and I'd thought maybe you needed some company… I'm not bothering you, am I?"

Lyra quickly lifted her eyes at him and shook her head, pink hues decorating her cheeks. "Oh no, no. You're not."

"That's good, yoi." Marco smiled at her, a glint in his blue eyes.

Lyra shamelessly blushed. ' _That smile again!'_

Marco, thankfully, returned to watching the sea, a ghost of a smile staying on his lips as he drank his coffee. The ocean was forging its own sea song and she listened to it to divert her attention away from the loud beating of her heart. The sound was enthralling, a song only the sea could compose. It was slowly affecting her that she momentarily closed her eyes, the heat on her cheeks receding until Marco spoke again.

"You like stargazing, yoi?"

She opened her eyes and saw Marco looking at her with that beautiful blue eyes of his. "I like watching the stars," she replied carefully, focusing her gaze on the night sky once again. "It's relaxing and a good company at night."

"The stars are indeed beautiful," he noted softly as he took a step back to properly face her, "but you don't have to watch it alone, yoi."

Lyra snapped her gaze to him in surprise and Marco's expression softened.

She didn't know why but something inside her melted.

"Do you realize the view's got better than earlier, yoi?"

"The view?" Lyra echoed in a daze.

"Earlier, you were alone but now I'm here with you."

Lyra's breath hitched and she wondered how he could say those things so confidently.

"Every sight you see with me will look different," Marco continued, and she listened, her ears hanging to every word, believing in every word. Her heart was throbbing evidently loud and her face was hot, so _traitorously_ hot, and she hoped Marco wouldn't notice and the glow of the moon wouldn't give her away.

"From now on, stargazing alone won't make you happy," he added. He sent her a wide smile and it did not fail to bring warmth on her cheeks. "You're part of us now, yoi. Official or not. We won't allow you to feel alone."

The waves slammed on the ship, not so harsh that it deafened her and not loud enough to drown the reassuring words he said. The rhythmic crashing came without fear and Lyra thought if she could absorb the braveness the sea held then she would not feel so happy and so sad at the same time.

She was really easy to please. Because with those simple words, it made her want to stay.

But because of those simple words, it made her afraid as well .

Swallowing, she batted away the wetness on her eyelashes, and directed her gaze in the sky. "You're right…" she said and there was throatiness in her tone. Quiet. Hopeful. "…the stars look more beautiful now

Because you're here."

* * *

Unbeknownst to them, there were two figures spying their innocent exchange behind a wall.

"Ohmygooood!" Thatch slapped Izo's shoulder multiple times in pure excitement; his cheeks stretched in a giddy grin. "It's happening!"

"For god's sake stop that!" Izo pinched his hand and hissed, "And be quiet!"

"Aren't you happy?!" Thatch said as he nursed his hand. "Marco will be bachelor no more!" He sniffed, wiping an imaginary tear. "I'm so proud of our blue turkey."

Izo rolled his eyes. "It's not yet certain if Lyra will stay, so don't get your hopes up."

Thatch clicked his tongue. "What a party pooper."

"Yeah! Be positive, Izo!"

"Ack! What are you doing here, Ace?! And what's in your hand?!"

Ace quickly threw the meat in his mouth. "Nothing."

"You better not—"

"Hush, you!" Izo jabbed Thatch's side. "It's getting good."

Thatch snapped his head to the budding romance and an uncharacteristic squeal came out of his lips. "Ohhhh! Pops will be so happy about this. Go, Marco!"

"Why will Pops be happy?" Ace asked, crouching down with Thatch.

"Because he wants little Marcos running in the ship," Izo answered.

Ace cringed. "Isn't that…creepy?"

"With Lyra's genes? It won't be creepy." Thatch grinned. "And I want to be an uncle! And Pops wants to be a grandpa!"

"I heard Pops saying he wanted ten grandkids." Izo chuckled.

"Ten little Marcos…" Ace shivered.

"Why not? Pops will spoil them rotten. And I, as the best uncle, will spoil them rotten."

Izo shook his head and sighed, "I do want to be an uncle as well but don't get your hopes us, Thatch."

* * *

_One week later…_

Lyra held her nose, a little dizzy from the punch the stranger had accidentally shot at her face.

"Dr. Lyra!" Deuce was immediately on her side, his hands cupping her cheeks. "You're bleeding!"

"I am fine," Lyra said, tearing up a bit. Deuce took a handkerchief from his pocket and dabbed the blood clean on her nose. "It doesn't hurt that much, Deuce."

Blamenco stood protectively on the two, giving Deuce the time to peacefully treat their female doctor.

"Oh, Marco won't be happy about this," he muttered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, lovelies! I'm sorry for making you wait! It's here omg! The romance… I don't know. Isn't Marco just so smooth?! And *cough* the glasses *cough* I can't resist. I'm excited for the next chapter asdgfjlags Oh Marco, my Marco… You better chill.
> 
> Thank you everyone! And to those who commented, clicked kudos and bookmarked this, thank you so so so much! I can't believe many people read this! Yay! Stay tune to the next chapter!

**Author's Note:**

> I don't know why but Marco has this charm that I cannot ignore. I badly want to write a story for him and this is my contribution! I love Ace but I love Marco too! Lezz do this!  
> I have a question! Do you prefer if this story started after the Marineford Arc with Ace and Thatch being alive ooor, do you want it before the Marineford Arc? Let me know your thoughts! Ciao!


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